CSS/Churchill Teaching Immersion Program

B.S. Elementary Education

The School of Education (SOE) fosters high academic standards, technological literacy, collaborative partnerships and a diverse learner perspective throughout its programs

Faculty members have significant K-12 and administrative experience, allowing them to bring real-world perspective to their students

The SOE offers multiple placements for students, significant opportunities for professional development, collaborative consultation, mentoring relationships, common experiences for students, exposure to best practices for teaching and learning, and shared research projects.

The SOE's licensure programs are designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions characteristic of effective teachers

Programs are rich in early and ongoing field experiences and reflect practices that lead to more effective learning by students

Elementary/education licensure program completers apply for an Elementary Education (grades K-6) license. Once licensed, they are eligible to work with children in elementary schools

Curriculum is designed to correspond to the Minnesota Board of Teaching Standards of Effective Practice

Outcomes

Eleven of the 13 of the undergraduate teacher candidates who graduated and received their MN Teaching License in 2014-15 now have teaching jobs.

Program Requirements

52 core credits + 20 content credits

The program's curriculum is designed to comply with recent (2012) changes in licensure requirements.

Student Teaching

Students in the elementary education program spend substantial and continuous time in local schools beginning with their initial class through their senior year of student teaching. In addition to developing the skills needed to become effective educators, this gives students an opportunity early in their education to be sure teaching at the elementary level is the right choice. Excellent local schools, both public and private, are happy to work with St. Scholastica students.

Sample curriculum

Here are some classes you could take as part of this major or minor. Please note that you would not necessarily need all of these courses to fulfill a major or minor. This list doesn't include general education courses. Be sure to create your course plan in consultation with your advisor.

Includes classroom visits and tutoring in a local school. Details of time and location will be shared in EDU 1540. A $50 background check is required before students are allowed to enroll in this course. This field experience portion of the introductory course is taken concurrently with EDU 1540.

Introduces schooling, teaching and the foundations of education. The major purpose is to help students clarify their thoughts and feelings about becoming a teacher. Topics include teachers, students, schools, teaching, curriculum, instruction, school governance, school finance, history of U.S. education, philosophy of education. Must be taken concurrently with EDU 1505.

Examines children’s cognitive, social, moral, and emotional development as a function of their social and cultural context: the school. The course introduces theories of intelligence, learning, memory, motivation, and behavior. Application of theory to practice is emphasized, with a focus on critical thinking, metacognition, models of instruction, and classroom management approaches.

This field experience involves observing and helping in local schools. The student will connect learning from EDU
course(s) to the field experience and produce documentation of said learning.
Note: Completing and passing the SOE background study is required prior to starting this field experience.

This course stresses understanding, knowledge, attitudes and habits necessary for healthful living. It explores elementary school physical and health education content and pedagogy and prepares the K-6 educator for meaningful strategies that promote physical and health education in the classroom and beyond. Alcohol, drugs, and mood altering chemicals and their effects on the individual, the family and society are also addressed. School as well as community resources dealing with prevention, intervention, treatment and follow up are explored.

Examines the arts as a basic and essential form of human communication. Explores and analyzes integration of the arts as a way to increase student achievement. Students learn to integrate literature, art, drama, dance, and music throughout the curriculum by gaining a basic knowledge of the arts, reasons for integration, and integration strategies and principles. Students examine research and current school programs that integrate the arts across the curriculum.

This is a pre-practicum course for individuals planning to teach science in grades K - 6. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the Nature of Science, teaching science as inquiry, and addressing student misconceptions. Methods for using technology effectively, managing materials and students safely and using state and district learner outcomes in planning will be addressed.

While students will gain knowledge in the content of the social sciences, the primary goal of this course is to guide students in developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for effective teaching of elementary social studies. In addition to an emphasis on integrating technology into the Social Studies curriculum, students will experience the kinds of instructional methods and strategies that are recommended as current best practices. Students will engage in activities and assignments that will foster reflection and discussion addressing the components of geography, history, government, economics, and sociology.

Apply skills and knowledge examined in EDU 2270 and EDU 2271 in an elementary classroom setting. Students will focus on classroom culture and teacher professionalism, social studies and science methods, technology, and reflection. The field experience portion of the communications block must be taken concurrently with EDU 2270 and 2271.

Provides students with an understanding of the importance of using multicultural approaches and diversity sensitive behaviors in the classroom. Students explore their own monocultural/multicultural socialization and examine their own assumptions and beliefs as they study the complex dynamics of the teaching/learning relationship. Topics include: the social construction of difference - race, class, gender, and sexual orientation; power, privilege, and the dehumanization process; the relationship between education and social justice.

Addresses teacher’s roles in educating children and youth with disabilities. Students examine the social construction of disability, disability legislation; rights and responsibilities of parents, educators, and students; and universal design for learning. Topics include historical and theoretical frameworks and legal mandates that have shaped the current field of special education, as well as the needs and characteristics of individuals with exceptionalities.

Focuses on best practices and current research trends that enable learners to be successful teachers of mathematics in the K-6 classroom. Learners analyze and evaluate current research, teaching strategies and philosophies related to teaching K-6 mathematics. Helps future teachers build a basic foundation concerning pedagogy, standards based instruction, technology use, and equity issues. Special attention is given to teaching practices that can help ALL K-6 students be successful in mathematics. Field experience activities and application from EDU 3250 may be required in this course dependent on the students’ course sequence.

Reflects on her/his experience in the field placement classroom. Students apply skills and knowledge examined in EDU 3615 in an elementary classroom setting. The focus is on observation of classroom culture and teacher professionalism, math methods, technology, and reflection. The field experience portion of the communications block must be taken concurrently with EDU 3615. Field experience activities and application from EDU 3250 may be required in this course dependent on the student's course sequence.

Inquires into the essence of the assessment process. The purpose and process of assessment will be investigated from a theoretical, phenomenological, personal, and experiential perspective. Topics include a brief history of assessment in education, underlying assumptions driving our assessment practices, the forms, purposes and effects of assessment used in classrooms today and new directions for assessment being advocated. This course is also listed as a benchmark course for the teaching portfolio. Students will share their whole portfolio with the education faculty to receive feedback.

Applies skills and knowledge examined in EDU 3710 in an elementary classroom setting. The focus is on observation of classroom culture and teacher professionalism, emphasizing literacy, reflection, and discussion while providing an opportunity to work with groups of children. The field experience portion of the communications block must be taken concurrently with EDU 3710. Field experience activities and application from EDU 3250 may be required in this course dependent on the student's course sequence.

Examines the characteristics of a well-balanced developmental reading/language arts program. The primary purpose of the course is to prepare elementary school education majors to be successful teachers of reading and its related language arts components. Students examine how theory and practice come together in developing effective instructional strategies for elementary school students. Students become familiar with a variety of teaching methods. They learn how to effectively implement instruction in the reading areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension as well as spelling, oral and written language. Assessment, analysis, and resultant remediation plans will be conducted with elementary students as well as through classroom activities. Current research trends that emphasize a balanced approach to literacy instruction are the framework for the course. To gain skills in accessing and evaluating research, students will examine current research supporting effective reading/language arts instruction best practices.

Provides an in-depth study of children's literature that focuses on the evaluation, selection, and sharing of children's books in instructional settings. Students will read, respond to, and evaluate picture books and chapter books of various genres. There is an emphasis on the identification and teaching of literary elements in context, strategies for sharing books with children, and the importance of using authentic children's literature in schools.

Provides students with a practical teaching experience in a local elementary or middle school under the supervision of a licensed teacher. This placement includes maintaining an environment conducive to learning; planning and teaching learning units (using both long-term and daily planning tools); developing assessments to evaluate students' learning; working with students with diverse learning needs; communicating effectively with students, parents/guardians, colleagues, and school support personnel; and participating in school activities.

Helps students reflect on and deal with situations encountered in their student teaching experience. Attendance is required. Class discussions and reflections come from the daily challenges of being with students in a classroom setting. Time is also spent on discussing the job application, portfolio development, and licensure processes. Must be taken concurrently with EDU 4500.

Topics selected to give a broad view of mathematics needed for a liberal education. Investigations emphasize mathematics needed by prospective teachers of elementary grades to address the strands: patterns and functions; number sense from whole numbers to real numbers. Prerequisite: three years of high school mathematics or instructor's permission.

A study of the universe as a set of interacting, evolving systems: galaxies, stars, the solar system and the Earth with its rocks, oceans and atmosphere. Study includes investigations of the matter-energy cycles in these systems and the effects of natural and human interventions upon them. In-class investigations and discovery activities and field trips are part of this course. Mainly for elementary and middle school teacher education students.

"In class, we often work in small groups and teach lessons that we developed prior to class. This activity is most helpful for my learning because it makes me think through my planning more thoroughly than I might if I were just writing up a theoretical lesson and submitting it."